|
- Have you noticed the odd dry brown branch on your Pencil Pines and other
Cypress hedges at present? Remove the branch and at the base you will see a
hollow centre has been eaten out recently. The larva of the "Cypress
Bark Weevil" is the culprit.
- You are unlikely to ever see the mature weevil or the borer, so the best
remedy is to water the area well, then apply a drench of Confidor or Rogor
to the area of soil where the root run is, as well as to any foliage that is
accessible. Being a systemic insecticide the Confidor or Rogor gets
relocated to all growing parts of the tree and the well concealed borer gets
a lethal dose, well out of the way of any down-the-chain predators.
- With the recent warm weather, potted plants take a hiding early in the
season and by applying a kelp or seaweed extract you provide them with
alginates that assist in keeping the water stress at bay. Particularly
effective when applied to flowering plants and soft shrubs, but not to
succulents that already have a very efficient water storage system.
- If you are using those gels that hold water for your potting mixtures, be
sure to save some potting media without the gel beads in it for the top 5cm
of the container. Otherwise the gel swells and looks like scattered glass on
the surface and it does no good on the surface anyhow.
- Time to feed citrus at present, well it always is time, since they are
such heavy feeders. The balanced citrus fertilizers really are worth the
purchase and in this region you will need to apply a foliar spray of zinc
and manganese (that come packaged together) as well, in late afternoon.
Those elements get locked up and are not available when added as fertilizer
to our alkaline soil and will affect fruit set, resulting in thick skin on
your oranges, grapefruit and mandarins.
- On alkaline soils, you will need to apply a foliar spray of zinc and
manganese (that comes packaged together) as well, in late afternoon. Those
elements get locked up and are not available when added as fertilizer to our
alkaline soil and will affect fruit set, resulting in thick skin on your
oranges, grapefruit and mandarins.
- Feed your lawn now too. Either with the organic pellets if you don’t
have a foraging dog or the fine dust organics if you do. Now for a really
rapid response in time for a lush green Christmas, use a water-soluble lawn
fertilizer as well or exclusively. On areas with heavy clay soil and who
doesn’t have that in this area, apply gypsum as well. Then go and wash all
your clothes.
- This is an ideal time to plant a tropical fruit tree, as the soil is
warming and fear of frosts long past if you live in or near Adelaide SA.
Avocados of ‘Hass’ or ‘Reid’ varieties do well here, but forget ‘Bacon’
it grows too large here. White Sapote and the Guavas do well here. My
favourite is the tiny Strawberry Guava with foliage that looks like a Ficus
benjamina, but the new red-centred Yellow Guava is sensational in size and
taste too.
|
